Bainbridge paves way for car tab increase

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND - The City Council unanimously approved the creation of a transportation improvement district Wednesday night, paving the way to new car tab fees for island drivers.

The new taxing district will be independent from the city and has the power to levy a fee of up to $20 on each registered vehicle to pay for roadwork. Council members will serve as the board for the district and hold regular meetings.

Once the district is organized, it could enact a car tab fee as early as March. The city estimates fee would generate about $330,000 per year and money would become available in 2014. The state Department of Licensing would collect the funds.

By law, money generated by the transportation district must pay for projects that alleviate congestion. But the definition of congestion-relieving projects is broad, city attorney Will Patton said. It could mean improving a poorly performing intersection, widening a road shoulder to allow more room for bicycles or repairing a road to prevent failure.

"There are many of those situations on the island that can be relieved by these projects," Patton said.

Car tab fees are one option the city is pursuing to bridge a massive gap in its roads budget.

The city needs to spend $2.5 million per year just to maintain its roads in their current condition. The city has $600,000 to spend on roadwork this year. It expects to have $956,000 in 2013, if federal grants come through.

Along with car tab fees, the council has discussed asking voters for a road improvement bond.

Councilman David Ward said he still sees registration fees as a last resort, but creating the district was a necessary step.

"This provides us that option, if and when we need it," Ward said.

Car tab fees aren't a popular option among island car collectors.

Former Bainbridge auto mechanic Allen Haugen told the council he enjoys fixing up old cars to drive. That hobby will become very expensive if a registration fee is enacted.

"I collect stray cars like people collect stray animals," Haugen said during a public hearing before the vote Wednesday. "At $20 a head per car, I'm going to be paying a lot of money for the pleasure of driving a different car all the time."

Fellow islander David Monsaas owns at least 12 registered vehicles, including collector cars, motorcycles and trailers. He said he wouldn't mind paying $20 or $40 extra each year on registration, but cringes at the thought of paying $240.

"The $20 fee on everything is just unfair to a person like me," he said.

The proposed fee had at least one fan in the audience Wednesday. Islander Ed Berschinski said he applauded the council's effort to find money for road repair.

"We have to take care of things before they get worse," he said. "And they're getting worse every day.

The city has toyed with the idea of a car tab fee several times in recent years. A fee was added to the 2010 budget but was never acted on.

Councilman Bob Scales said there was added urgency to get the district done this year. The council was concerned the county might establish a transportation district before Bainbridge did. A district created by the county would include Bainbridge, and draw money collected from island car tab fees to countywide road projects.

The council wanted to prevent that from happening.

"We put this on really a very fast track to get to it," Scales said.

Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder said Thursday that county officials have not discussed a transportation benefit district or a car tab increase. In an email, Gelder wrote that "it's not likely we'd move in the direction of a TBD any time soon."County Commissioners have not proposed a transportation improvement district. Bremerton approved a $20 car tab fee late last year.